Method of wet finishing plant based fibers and fabrics made therefrom

ABSTRACT

The present arrangement includes a method for wet finishing a plant-based fabric. The method includes obtaining a plant-based fabric, subjecting the plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath for a first predetermined amount of time, and subsequently subjecting the plant-based fabric to a silicone emulsion bath for a second predetermined amount of time.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 63/055,040, filed on Jul. 22, 2020, the entiretyof which is incorporated herein by reference.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

In animal fibers, including wool/cashmere, natural animal oils in thefibers are an important factor that leads to the softness of the fibers.Wet finishing refers to a final processing of a fabric that includeschemically treating and washing the fabric so that it reaches its finalphysical characteristics, such as strength, feel, look, etc . . . . Asthe animal oils are released through these wet finishing processes thefibers relax and soften. However, animal fibers require a good deal ofeffort to obtain, pose certain environmental hazards, and otherwise havecertain ethical concerns associated therewith. As such, the use ofanimal fibers for producing fibers or fabrics therefrom is not ideal.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY

Plant based and vegetable-based fibers (vegetable fibers) can be used toproduce yarn and the yarn made from such vegetable fibers can be used tomake fabrics. Because vegetable fibers are not as commonly accompaniedby rich oils or other components that are at times associated withanimal fibers, yarns made of vegetable fibers and fabrics made of suchyarn do not often have the wonderful feel at times associated with yarnsand or fabrics made of animal fibers. This generally relates to thepresence or absence of the different oils present in the fibers, theyarn or the fabric. Furthermore, as different processing parameters havebeen used to treat prior art plant-based or vegetable fibers and fabricsmade therefrom often have a less than ideal texture, unlike for examplecertain premium animal fibers/fabrics such as cashmere. For example, inorder to process of soy protein into a fiber (SPF) the soy materialincluding protein is baked at high temperatures to create a powder orflour which is then used to make soy fibers. As such when the soymaterial is heated the natural oils are stripped out and depleted.However, it is these oils that help lubricate the fibers and thelubrication helps to soften and relax the fiber, so a process thatreintroduces oils to the fibers is believed to be necessary if thefibers are going to have the feel of fibers from other sources such asanimals.

The present methods are believed to overcome the many of the drawbacksassociated with the prior art and provide fibers made from plant-basedor vegetable fiber and fabrics made therefrom with improved physicalqualities more akin to that normally obtained from animal fibers.

More specifically present process includes a wet finishing of fabricsand cloths made from plant/vegetable fibers that are in some wayssimilar to processes for achieving superior results from animal fibers.For example, cashmere (wool) is full of rich animal oils. The presentmethods introduce emulsions into the Soy Protein Fiber (SPF) during thewashing/wet finishing process as a method of introducing oils in the SPFmimicking the oil presence in animal fibers, such as cashmere.

The ultimate qualities of loft, fullness, and fuzziness occurring inthese plant-based fibers and fabrics made therefrom is because some ofthe individual fibers break out of the twist and stick outward. This isdone mechanically by “milling” during the wash (agitation in standardwash cycle) which makes the fibers rub against each other and furtheredby separating the fibers in the brushing or sanding process. The presentmethods preferably include a wet finishing process forplant/vegetable-based fibers and/or fabrics made of such fibers, byintroducing oils and other agents into the yarns and the fabric suchthat when they are milled, the final product will mimic that ofanimal-based fabrics such as cashmere.

Such a process as described herein can be implemented in the wetfinishing phase, knitted or woven, of any garment for apparel, throws,blanket, rug, footwear, upholstery, bedding, outerwear, sleepwear,loungewear made from a plant-based fiber or yarns. As explained moredetail below the present arrangement may be used with a unique blend ofsoy fabric but such wet finishing process can be used with other plantbased, or other blends or unblended fiber and yarn combinations. Thiswet finishing process gives the knitted or woven item a softer, moreluxurious hand and lofty visual effect similar to animal fiber cashmere.In another iteration with a different combination of yarns that areknitted or woven the process will yield a similar effect giving the itemmore softness and loft to the fibers.

To this end the present arrangement includes a method for wet finishinga plant-based fabric. The method includes obtaining a plant-basedfabric, subjecting the plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath fora first predetermined amount of time, and subsequently subjecting theplant-based fabric to a silicone emulsion bath for a secondpredetermined amount of time.

In another embodiment the present includes a plant-based fabric obtainedaccording to a wet finishing process that includes subjecting theplant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath for a first predeterminedamount of time, and subsequently subjecting the plant-based fabric to asilicone emulsion bath for a second predetermined amount of time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be best understood through the followingdescription and accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 represents a fabric made of plant-based fibers according to oneembodiment; and

FIG. 2 is a flow chart for a wet finishing process for the fabric ofFIG. 1, in accordance with one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present arrangement provides a wet finishing process that is used togive knits and woven fabrics, made from vegetable fibers, a moreluxurious and full-bodied hand feel and a lofty visual appearance, moreakin to what would be found in typical knits and woven fabrics made fromanimal fibers. As explained in more detail below the present embodimentsof the washing process are used on knit or woven fabrics made fromplant-based or vegetable-based fibers and/or yarns.

For example, in one embodiment, a knitted fabric 10 shown in FIG. 1 ismade from soy protein fibers (SPF) that are spun into yarn. An exemplaryyarn may be that obtained from LiangHong Textile Co., Ltd.,Zhangjiagang, JiangSu Province, China. As explained in more detailbelow, fabric 10 is preferably knitted using the SPF yarn. In alternateembodiments, other plant-based fibers like cotton, lyocell and the like,or even synthetic fibers or even animal derived fibers can be spuntogether into a yarn from which knitted or woven fabric including soyprotein fiber and other plant based or other yarns can be made. Oncethese fabrics are created, they are then washed or wet finished in amanner that softens the plant-based fibers so that the feel of thefabric is reminiscent of animal based fabrics such as cashmere in a knitor woven form. In alternate embodiments, knitted or woven fabrics madefrom SPF yarn may also include other plant-based yarns like cotton,lyocell and the like, or even synthetic yarns or even animal derivedyarns. These alternate knitted and woven fabrics are also washed or wetfinished in a manner that softens the plant-based fibers so that thefeel of the fabric is reminiscent of cashmere animal fibers in a wovenform.

In a first embodiment fabric 10 is a made from yarn purchased fromLiangHong Textile Co., Ltd., Zhangjiagang, JiangSu Province, China,which consists essentially of SPF, lyocell and cotton in a ratio of 66to 18 to 16, however, it will be appreciated that oilier yarns could beused that have ratio of these specific fiber contain materials of from20 to 80, to 10 to 40, to 10 to 40 respectively. Furthermore, in yetother alternate embodiments, the yarn used to knit of weave additionalalternate fabrics includes from 20 to 80 percent SPF, from 0 to 50percent lyocell, from 0 to 50 cotton and 0 to 50 percent of well knownsynthetic fibers and from 0 to 50 percent of well known animal fibers.in yet other alternate embodiments, the fabric is made from theaforementioned soy protein fiber (SPF) yarn, yarn made from Lyocell(cellulosic fiber from wood pulp), and yarn made from Cotton, all ofwhich are available for purchase from LiangHong Textile Co., Ltd.,Zhangjiagang, JiangSu Province, China. and which are blended in a ratioof 66 SPF yarn to 18 lyocell yarn to 16 cotton yam in alternate knittedor woven fabrics. In other embodiments described in more detail belowother plant-based fiber blends in varying ratios of other fibers may beused. However, for the purposes of illustration, the 66/18/16 blend ofyarns or alternately, fibers in a single yarn, is preferred toillustrate the salient features of the invention.

As discussed above, it is noted that in order o process and spin soymaterial, including soy protein, into a yarn that is made from soyprotein fibers (SPF), the soy material, including the protein is bakedat high temperatures to create a powder or flour which is then used tomake soy fibers. As the soy protein is heated, it will be appreciatedthat the natural oils are stripped from the fibrous material anddepleted. Applicants submit that it is these oils that are needed tolubricate the fibers and that the lubrication is believed to soften andrelax the fibers, and finding a suitable way to introduce such oils intoknitted or woven fabrics containing plant-based fibers like SPF isdesirable.

The present arrangement replaces the oils after the plant-based fiberslike SPF has been spun into yarns and knit or woven into fabricsavailable as fabric yardage, garments, outerwear, accessories,upholstery, sleepwear, loungewear, and the like or any other knit orwoven product made with plant based or soy protein yarns (i.e. fabric10). The result is a softer more relaxed hand-feel and a loftier visualappearance. This process uses a combination of mixtures, oils andemulsions and soaking the respective fabrics to replace oils depleted inthe development such plant-based fibers like the soy protein fibers sothat the processed fibers are lubricated with oil. The preferred processhelps to release the inherent qualities of the processed soy fibers. Itis noted that the oils being “replaced” are not necessarily the same orsame type of oils initial present before baking. Rather it isunderstood, as described in more detail below, that oils beingintroduced to the previously baked soy fibers may include natural and/orsynthetic oils and combinations thereof, either soy derived orotherwise.

Thus, a result of the presently described fabric washing process or wetfinishing process of the SPF containing fabric is to produce knits andwoven items with qualities that resemble animal fibers, specificallyfine animal fabrics like those made of cashmere, such as softness,smoothing, sheen and appearance. To achieve these results the followingdescribed processes, preferably including specific agents and processfor applying the agents.

In at least some preferred embodiments, silicone emulsions, modifiedsilicone oils, oils of any suitable kind and water-soluble plant-basedoils are the preferred agents for washing knitted and woven fabrics thatpreferably contain yarns that preferably contain plant-based fibers suchas SPF.

For example, in at least one embodiment, the present arrangement employsthe following chemicals for wet finishing process:

-   -   (A) Silicone emulsion with exceptional stability that provides        sheen, lubricant, permeability, and washing resistance. A        preferred silicone emulsion is HT-311 silicone emulsion from HT        Fine Additives Co., LTD, Jianggu, Sihui, Guangdong, China.        Silicone oil emulsions are used in this instance as a kind of        textile finishing agent with excellent performance, commonly        used for soft and smooth finishing, such silk-like finishing,        wool-like finishing, and waterproof finishing, for yarns        containing animal fibers. A wide variety of silicone emulsions        can be used for this purpose. It can be used both alone and with        other finishing agents. Silicone oil emulsions make the fabric        comfortable, stylized, higher grade and functional quality. Wool        softener HT-311 is a specific kind of silicone emulsion with        excellent stability made of imported organic silicone materials.        It has excellent smoothness, can be used as a smoothing agent        and lubricant, and can greatly reduce the coefficient of        friction of the fibers in various yarns. It can be used alone or        mixed with cationic and non-ionic softener;    -   (B) Amino silicone oil emulsion that provides softness, fluff,        and delicate hand feeling to yarns containing plant-based        fibers. A preferred brand is labeled HT-40 from HT Fine        Additives Co., Ltd., Jianggu, Sihui, Guangdong, China. Amino        silicone emulsions include large molecules called        organopolysiloxane into the fabric during the washing of wet        finishing process. The introduction of the amino silicone        emulsion into the fabric not only makes the softening agent form        a strong affinity with fiber, thus obtaining excellent softness        and resilience; but it also has a soft and smooth hand feeling,        as well as a good durability. Softener HT-40 is used in this        instance to provide a soft finish for knitted sweaters, suitable        for the finishing of various yarns contain a wide variety of        fibers, including plant based fibers and yarns in blended        fabrics containing acrylic, polyester, cotton and wool, which        can give the fabric a soft, fluffy and delicate hand feeling;    -   (C) Water soluble Almond Oil extract to provide moisture. In the        present arrangement of generic, unscented, almond oil is used,        such as that commonly used in the massage industry, but it will        be appreciated that many different oils used in finishing        fabrics of many kinds can also be used in substitution of a        preferred almond oil extract. In the embodiments herein,        preferred silicone emulsions are an aqueous silicone emulsion        that includes a surfactant that enables the emulsion to be        stable and to comprise a large number of very small micelles or        emulsion particle containing the silicone. In preferred        embodiments, the silicone emulsion has emulsion particle sizes        of from about 0.05 to about 1.0 microns (um), preferably from        about 0.075 to about 0.7 microns, more preferably from about 0.1        to about 0.5 microns.

In the embodiments herein, preferred silicone emulsions ororganopolysiloxane emulsions may include silicone emulsions andorganopolysiloxane emulsions selected from the group consisting ofdimethyl silicone emulsions, amino type silicone emulsions,organo-functional silicone emulsions, other oil type silicone emulsions;resin type silicone emulsions, film-forming silicone emulsions andmixtures of each of the aforementioned emulsions with one or more of anyof the other aforementioned emulsions. In preferred embodiments, the oiltype silicone emulsions include dimethyl silicone emulsions andorgano-functional silicone emulsions, preferably including aminosilicone emulsions, epoxy silicone emulsions, mercapto siliconeemulsions, phenyl silicone emulsions and reactive silicone emulsions. Inpreferred embodiments resin type silicone emulsions are used preferablyincluding MQ resin silicone emulsions and methyl resin siliconeemulsions. In alternate embodiments, rubber type silicone emulsions areuse, including film-forming silicone emulsions and powder siliconeemulsions. All of these emulsions are referenced on the .pdf publishedat https://www.shinetsusilicone-global.com/catalog/pdf/emulsions_e.pdf,which text is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

In the embodiments herein, silicone emulsions may be used in washingprocesses that are available from Shin-Etsu Silicones of America, Inc.,division of Shin-Etsu Chemical C., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. these emulsionsincluding the dimethyl silicone emulsions, the amino type siliconeemulsions, the organo-functional silicone emulsions, the other oil typesilicone emulsions; the resin type silicone emulsions and thefilm-forming silicone emulsions listed on the webpages athttps://www.shinetsusilicone-global.com/catalog/pdf/emulsions_e. pdf,preferably Softnersil-10; Polon-MN-ST; Polon-MF-33; Polon-MF-14;Polon-MF-14E; Polon-MF-51; Polon-MF-63; Polon-MF-18T; Polon-MF-33A andeach of the other silicone emulsions identified there.

Alternate silicone-based fabric finishing agents or silicone-basedemulsifiers referenced in each of the following U.S. Patents, each ofwhich is hereby incorporated herein by reference, may be used as awashing agent in alternate methods of the present invention: U.S. Pat.Nos. 4,987,180; 5,102,930; 5,232,611; 7,803,196 and 8,329,816.

Turning to the wet processing of fabric 10 in one embodiment a wetfinishing process is applied to a fabric using a combination of themixtures or fluids disclosed above. Such final steps in the processingof fabrics 10 achieves loft and softness, or whatever type of finish isdesired to the garment or fabric. The below wet finish is applied afterthe yarn that includes the preferred fibers have been knit or woven intogarments or fabric. In this way it is used to replace oils andlubricants that have been stripped from the fibers during processing.

In a preferred embodiment replacing the natural oils in the fibers isachieved with a combination of an amino silicone emulsion, water andoils, preferably plant-based oils. In a first step 100, fabric 10 isprewashed to remove residue and solutions. Such a step may be carriedout at a water temperature of about 40 to about 60° F., preferably usinga standard unscented detergent (chip soap is preferred, but many othersoaps will suffice) and gentle agitation. After washing, the fabric isrinsed in an extract step 102 using cold water and gentle agitation.

In one embodiment, after the washing step and the rinsing step, at step104 an amino silicone emulsion bath is used to re-introduce oils to theplant-based fibers in the yarns in the fabric and to achieve a softdelicate hand feel. Step 104 includes sub-routines of:

-   -   104 a—add about 6 gallons of water into a large vat (preferably        at a water temp of from about 40 to about 60° F. at a preferred        pH of from about 4.5 to about 6.5;    -   104 b—add 2 oz. Amino Silicone emulsion to the vat;    -   104 c—add 0.10 ml of Almond Oil to the vat;    -   104 d—mix fluid materials vigorously;    -   104 e—add about 5.6 lbs. of fabric material 10;    -   104 f—soak the fabric from about 45 minutes to about 1 hour,        preferably with gentle agitation about every 10 minutes;    -   104 g—drain, remove excess fluids.

In another embodiment, a subsequent silicone emulsion step 106 ispreferably added after step 104, which will further include agitation ormilling to enhance stability, smoothness, and appearance of the fibers.Step 106 includes sub-routines of:

-   -   106 a—load fabric or garments remaining in the vat once the        remaining fluids are removed from vat;    -   106 b—set washing machine using settings for delicate wash        settings. In this embodiment the preferred time of the delicate        wash is 36 minutes, and the preferred machine type is a        front-loading washing machine with drum size of from about 3.1        to about 4 cubic-feet, however, variations in the size of the        drum are not of consequence;    -   106 c—add 2 oz. of silicone emulsion to machine dispenser to be        released during the wash or agitation cycle and run fabric or        garments through a single wash cycle on a delicate setting        followed by a spin cycle to remove the wash fluids;    -   106 d—transport the fabric, garments, or other materials to        dryer;    -   106 e—set dryer to run on a delicate drying setting in order to        separate and fluff fibers in the respective yarns at a preferred        air temperature of from about 100 to about 135 degrees F.,        preferably from about 110 to about 130 degrees F., more        preferably at about 125 degrees F.

As noted above, the processing discussed above is used on a preferredfabric that has a preferred ratio of 66% soy protein fiber yarn/18%lyocell yarn/and 16% cotton yarn, however such wet finishing processesdescribed in steps 100-106 may be applied to any different fabrics 10made of different compositions of yarns made of plant-based fibers andother fibers. For example, steps 100-106 can be practiced on fiber 10made of 66% soy fiber yarns/18% lyocell yarns and 16% cotton yarns,however, fabric 10 may instead be made of soy fiber yarns and cottonyarns only, soy fiber yarns only, cotton yarns only, Lyocell yarns only,cotton and Lyocell yarns, and soy fiber yarns and lyocell yarns. It isfurther noted that it is possible to use the above wet finishing cycleson animal-based fiber yarns, synthetic fiber yarns, and fabrics thathave a variety of mixtures of such yarns, as well to potentially improvethe quality, feel and finish, even though the process is primarilyintended to be used with plant-based fabrics.

While only certain features of the invention have been illustrated anddescribed herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes orequivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is therefore,to be understood that this application is intended to cover all suchmodifications and changes that fall within the true spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for wet finishing a plant-based fabric, said method including the steps of: obtaining a plant-based fabric; subjecting said plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath containing a silicone emulsion and water for a first predetermined amount of time; and subsequently subjecting said plant-based fabric to a silicone emulsion bath for a second predetermined amount of time.
 2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said obtained fabric is a soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein said soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric is blended fabric of soy fiber, cellulosic fiber from wood pulp, and cotton.
 4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of initially prewashing said plant-based fabric and a subsequent rinse and extract step prior to said amino silicone bath.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of subjecting said plant based-fabric to said amino silicone oil bath further includes an addition of soluble almond oil.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said step of subjecting said plant based-fabric to said amino silicone oil is run for approximately 45 min to an hour.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of subjecting said plant based-fabric to said silicone emulsion bath is run for approximately 36 minutes.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said step of subjecting said plant based-fabric to said silicone emulsion bath further includes drying said fabric at a temperature of about dry 125° F.
 9. A plant-based fabric obtained according to a wet finishing process comprising: subjecting said plant-based fabric to amino silicone oil bath for a first predetermined amount of time; and subsequently subjecting said plant-based fabric to a silicone emulsion bath for a second predetermined amount of time.
 10. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 9, wherein said plant-based fabric is a soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric.
 11. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein said soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric is blended fabric of soy fiber, cellulosic fiber from wood pulp, and cotton.
 12. The plant plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 11, wherein said soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric is blended fabric of soy fiber at approximately 66%, cellulosic fiber from wood pulp at approximately 18%, and cotton at approximately 16%.
 13. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein said plant-based fabric is entirely a soy plant fiber (SPF) based fabric.
 14. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein said plant-based fabric is a combination of soy plant fiber (SPF) and cotton fiber.
 15. The plant-based fabric as claimed in claim 10, wherein said plant-based fabric is a combination of soy plant fiber (SPF) and cellulosic fiber from wood pulp. 